Mass Communication: Media Studies Concentration

The Media Studies Area of Concentration is designed to help students become more sensitive to the relationship between media and culture. Building on the Department Core, the concentration provides specialized training in introductory to advanced media literacy techniques and in the salient concepts of mass communication theory.

Courses in media analysis allow students to examine media texts, from print advertisements to feature films, from television series to Internet-based content. These media texts are analyzed for production elements, genre conventions and subtexts.

Courses in cultural studies afford students an opportunity to place these analysis results into the contexts of gender, race, class and other cultural-ideological constructions.

Students participating in a class in the lecture hall, Fitzwater 101

Students enjoy a wide range of classes in Media Studies. All course work in Media Studies typically contains a research component and allows for the practice and perfection of scholarly writing techniques; collaborative learning and a high level of instructor-student interaction are integral to all course designs. Through oral and audio-visual presentations of research results, Media Studies courses also provide ample opportunities for the practice of public speaking and acquired media production skills.

The area of concentration Media Studies is open to all Department majors without prerequisites and welcomes students from other majors and disciplines, in particular Advertising, American Studies, Education, Graphic Communication, and Women's Studies.

Media Studies Awards & News:

Katherine Lukianov (’10), from Framingham, MA, has been accepted to the M.A. program in Media Studies at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.   While at Pierce, she studied both media production and media studies.  For her outstanding academic work, Kit was chosen as the 2010 recipient of the Outstanding Media Studies Student Award.
	Matthew Taylor ('12), from Norwich, CT, and Eric Taverna ('12), from Norwell, MA, were chosen as the 2012 co-recipients of the Media Studies Award, honoring outstanding accomplishment in the area of Media Studies.
	Frangelica Odell, a media studies junior from Natick, MA, was awarded the 2010 Charter Charitable Foundation Scholarship for Communications/Media Students at the New Hampshire Public Television Women of Influence luncheon in Manchester November 12th. Nominated by media studies professor Dr. Andrea Bergstrom, Frangelica received a $2,500 scholarship awarded for outstanding work showing promise in the field of communication and public broadcasting. Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of the acclaimed PBS MASTERPIECE series, was the guest speaker.
	Caitlin Beagan was chosen as the 2011 recipient of the Mass Communication Department's Media Studies Award, given to a graduating senior who has shown outstanding academic accomplishment in the field of Media Studies.  Hailing from Warwick, Rhode Island, Caitlin majored in Mass Communication and minored in Advertising.
	Allison Smith ('07) of Nashua, New Hampshire, is Manager of Volunteer Programs at Science Club for Girls in Cambridge, MA.   Managing social media and branded content, she also recruits volunteers who can inspire girls’ science literacy and political efficacy through mentorship. To increase girls’ participation in STEM programs in college, she created a program matching Science Club for Girls College Chapter members with mentors from the Association of Women in Science.   She has recently completed her M.Ed in Higher Ed. Admin. from Northeastern U.   A political science major, Allison also took media studies courses while at Pierce.

 Want to Know More?

View the College at Rindge academic catalog for specific degree requirements and course information.

Contact

Franklin Pierce University
College at Rindge
1.800.437.0048
admissions@franklinpierce.edu